Monday, April 12, 2010

Comic Book Report: Scalped Vol. 5: High Lonesome

I don't usually think of myself as a specialist, especially when it comes to entertainment. I like to sample media from lots of different genres. Consequently, I know a little about a lot of things, but don't have true expertise in many fields (except, perhaps, TNG-era Trek trivia).

So when the introduction to this Scalped collection sings the praises of crime dramas like The Sopranos and Elmore Leonard's work, I shrug my shoulders and move on. I watched the first season of The Sopranos, until it became just another mafia soap, and like everyone else, I enjoyed Out of Sight, but it didn't turn me into a Leonard groupie.

It's pretty rare for me to love one particular author's entire body of work, especially when they write exclusively in one specific genre or idiom. I know many people enjoy the comfort of a familiar setting or well-worn characters, but I tend to like variety. I get bored easily.

That's not a problem with Scalped, a sprawling saga of a variety of imperfect people in a myriad of intertwining bad situations. You could call it Shakespearean or Roman in that way. One thing it ain't is boring.